★★★✰✰ Bintley has treated Shakespeare’s drama as a masque, full of spectacle, music and dancing, with elusive characters that are more allegorical than realistic. It doesn’t work as a narrative ballet because the sub-plots are too complicated…

★★★★✰ Whenever I see Michael Clark’s company I usually come away energised and uplifted. Nobody fuses ballet to a youthful modern world like Clark does or reminds you that it’s a tough technique that’s been around a long time.

David Bintley, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, is a prolific choreographer and just about to unveil his latest full evening work – The Tempest. Graham Watts went to talk to him about a work, that after 30 years of consideration, has found its time and proper custom score…